eBay believes that everyone should be able to participate in the global economy. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay is a global commerce leader and connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world. The technologies and services that power the platform are designed to enable sellers worldwide to organize and offer their inventory for sale and buyers to find and purchase it, virtually anytime and anywhere.

eBay’s open platform is at the forefront of empowering independent micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and entrepreneurs to directly connect with customers around the world at an unprecedented rate. With the ability to grow quickly by reaching new markets, 97% of US micro and small businesses on eBay export and reach an average of 17 foreign destination markets. Comparatively, only 1% of US traditional businesses export. This dramatic difference demonstrates the power of eBay technology to enable sellers of every size, location, and circumstance to tap into eBay’s expanding customer base of more than 170 million buyers across 190 markets and grow sales across the globe. This new platform-based model for exporting is inclusive and translates into more jobs, economic stability and growth, which is truly beneficial for Main Street businesses and communities across America.

However, exporting can be complicated, especially for those micro and small businesses just getting started. That is why we are excited to sponsor the Getting to Global Initiative, which will amplify the resources – from the private and public sectors – available to help MSME’s across the country to grow their exports and grow their businesses. The Initiative’s interactive workshops will help MSMEs develop and optimize their global online strategies by hearing firsthand from other businesses about what is and is not working for them. The Getting to Global Website will display content from eBay and the other sponsors detailing the benefits of exporting, the numerous tools – such as eBay’s Global Shipping Program – we provide to make it easy for MSMEs to export as well as testimonials from entrepreneurs across the country who use our platform to go global. This partnership is about connecting the unconnected and extending the same growth opportunities to MSMEs all over the country, that until recently were reserved for only very large companies.